Supports for ceramic ware



Feb. 13, 1962 R. DOPERA SUPPORTS FOR CERAMIC WARE Filed March 7, 1960 IN VENTOR. PuooLF DOPE/QA ATTORNEY 3,020,617 Patented Feb. 13, 1962 3,020,617 SUPPORTS FOR CERAMIC WARE Rudolph Dopera, 11032 Concert St., El Monte, Calif.

Filed Mar. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 13,297

2 Claims. (Cl. 25-153) This invention pertains to new and improved ceramic supports. This application is a continuation-in-part of the co-pending application, Serial No. 428,938 filed May 11, 1954, Patent No. 2, 927,362, issued March 8, 1960. The disclosure of this co-pending application is incorporated herein by reference.

In manufacturing various types of ceramic bodies clay and/ or other inorganic materials are formed by slip casting, jiggering or various other processes into an approximately desired final shape. Such bodies are then heated at temperatures of from about 1600 F. to about 2300 F. in kilns so as to bond the various inorganic materials in such bodies to one another. During such a firing process these bodies must be held separate and apart from a kiln so that they become uniformly heated. Further, they must be held in such a manner that these bodies are free to move slightly since, during a firing process they normally will shrink in dimension a relatively small amount.

An object of the present invention is to provide new and improved ceramic supports for use in supporting various types of inorganic bodies as such bodies are being heated in order to form ceramic articles. A related object of the present invention is to provide supporting devices which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which may be easily used, and which are capable of being easily recovered after use so that they may be reused a large number of times. A related object of this invention is to provide supporting devices of the type indicated which can be used without causing any noticeable or significant damage to the surfaces of ceramic bodies engaged by these supporting devices during a firing operation.

These and various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a detailed consideration of the remainder of this specification including the accompanying drawing in which there is shown a perspective view of a supporting device of this invention.

The supporting device shown in the accompanying drawing is a presently preferred embodiment ofthe present invention. Various minor changes of a routine design or engineering nature may be made in the device illustrated without changing the manner in which this device operates or is employed. For this reason the accompanying drawing is not to be taken as limiting the invention in any respect.

As an aid to understanding this invention it may be stated inessentially summary form that it concerns ceramic supports or supporting devices, each of which is formed out of a single sheet of heat resistant metal. In accordance with this invention such a sheet is preferably formed so as to have a central portion surrounded by sides. These sides carry bent tabs which extend from these sides, and each of these tabs is formed so as to have a terminal point located at the extremity thereof remote from the central portion. Further, the tabs are preferably bent with respect to the central portion so as to be capable of engaging several bodies so as to hold in a spaced relationship with respect to one another.

The actual details of this invention will be more fully apparent from a consideration of the remainder of this description. In the drawing there is shown a supporting device of the present invention formed out of a single sheet of'heat'resistant metal such as, for example, a known type ofnichrome'alloy or the like. Various suitable metals or metal alloys capable of withstanding the temperatures normally encountered during the firing of ceramic ware are indicated in Table 25 appearing on page 2025 of the text Marks Mechanical Engineering I Handbook, fifth edition, rev., McGraw-Hill Book Co.,

New York, NY. A ceramic support of this invention, such as the device 10, should be formed ofa metal or metal alloy capable of withstanding the temperatures to which such a device is subjected during its use without bending. In general such temperatures are within a range of from about 1600 F. to about 2300 F. as indicated in the preceding portions of this specification.

The device 10 includes a central portion 12 of a planar character. This portion is of a generally square shape and has side edges 14 to each of which there is attached a tab 16. These tabs 16 gradually diminish in width away from the central portion 12 so as to terminate in points 18 located on the extremities of the tabs 16 remote from the central portion 12. Further, the tabs 16 are preferably bent as indicated in the drawing so that the points 18 are spaced approximately equidistant from one another and so that these tabs 16 project in different directions from the central portion 12. A supporting device of the present invention may be easily employed during the manufacture of ceramic articles. When it is desired to space an article, such as a green or unfired plate upon a supporting surface at least three of these devices 10 may be scattered about on such a supporting surface so as to be spaced from one another and then such an article may be set in place upon them. When it is desired to locate another article upon an article which has been located in this place in this manner an equivalent number of these devices 10 may be scattered on the first article and then another such article may be set in place upon'this next group of supporting devices. This process can, of course, be continued until a stack of articles .of any desired height is obtained. After a firing operation within a kiln the various articles may be easily lifted apart from one another and the various supporting devices employed may be simply dropped or scattered into a box or other appropriate receptacle.

One major advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that devices such as a device 10 herein described do not, as a general rule, create surface imperfections on various bodies fired in a ceramic kiln. When prior related structures used for the same purpose as the supporting devices 10 have been used pull outs or blotches in the surfaces of ceramic articles have frequently resulted. Such surface imperfections are substantially eliminated through the use of devices such as the device 10. Even when such surface imperfections do occur using supporting devices as herein described, they are of a very minor character and frequently do not cause an article containing them to be a second or reject.

Those skilled in the art to which thisinvention pertains will realize that devices such as'the device 10 may 1. A ceramic support which includes: a single sheet without the remainder of said supporting devices cngagl0 ing such bodies.

2. A ceramic support which includes a single sheet of heat resistant metal formed so as to have a central portion having sides and tabs extending from said sides, each of said tabs being formed so as to have a terminal point located at the extremity thereof remote from said central portion, each of said tabs being bent with respect to said central portion so that said terminal points are spaced equidistant from one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,346,713 Walker Apr. 18, 1944 2,743,499 Edgerton May 1, 1956 2,927,362 Dopera Mar. 8, 1960 

